Why was Crystal Palace demoted from Europa League to Conference League by UEFA?

Crystal Palace, despite earning a UEFA Europa League spot by defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup, face a surprising setback. A recent development drops them to the UEFA Conference League instead, altering their European competition plans for the upcoming season.

Crystal Palace have become one of the Premier League’s most ambitious projects. With Oliver Glasner at the helm, the team achieved a landmark victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup, securing their place in the UEFA Europa League. This success largely came thanks to the offensive prowess of star player Eberechi Eze, who clinched the winning goal. Yet, in a surprising twist, they have been demoted to the UEFA Conference League.

Crystal Palace will not participate in the UEFA Europa League, despite earning their spot by winning the 2024–25 FA Cup, as reported by Ben Jacobs. The setback arises from a conflict involving their owner, John Textor, who also owns Olympique Lyonnais.

Both clubs secured places in the 2025 UEFA Europa League, but UEFA rules restrict owners from having multiple teams in the same competition. Consequently, the English side will compete in the UEFA Conference League, while the French side maintains its position in the Europa League.

“The CFCB First Chamber pursued the assessment of the documentation submitted by Olympique Lyonnais and Crystal Palace and concluded that the clubs breached, as at 1 March 2025, the multi-club ownership criteria foreseen in Art 5.01 of the UEFA Club Competition Regulations,” UEFA reported.

Moreover, Nottingham Forest, who secured a spot in the UEFA Conference League, will be promoted to the UEFA Europa League. Despite this decision, Crystal Palace still have the option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The exclusion has sparked controversy, especially since just 12 months ago, Girona FC and Manchester City faced a similar situation and both ended up competing in the UEFA Champions League.

Why did Olympique Lyonnais get the UEFA Europa League spot over Crystal Palace?

Despite sharing the same ownership, Olympique Lyonnais of France’s Ligue 1 secured a spot in the UEFA Europa League over English Premier League side Crystal Palace. This decision adheres to the Multi-Club Ownership Rules, which state that the team finishing higher in its respective league claims the coveted European competition berth.

In this case, Lyon clinched sixth place in the French league, outperforming Crystal Palace’s 12th-place finish in the Premier League. The French side’s financial stability came under scrutiny, but the DNCG, France’s financial watchdog, chose not to relegate the team despite financial issues. Consequently, they retained their position and celebrated their Europa League participation.

From: bolavip.com